IAM Protests at UAL Stockholder Meeting Read the media release that went out earlier this afternoon.

IAM Re-launches Site The relaunch of the IAM website, goiam.org, took place Friday, May 11. Haven't checked it out yet? Point your browser to: http://www.goiam.org, or click the "go" button below-right.

Catch The Union Buzz Up-to-the-minute reports from other labor unions affiliated with the  AFL-CIO.

Local 831 Strikers Picket Quaker Oats  Strikers from LL 831 staged an informational picket at the annual stockholders' meeting in Chicago.

The Rest of the Story President Bush recently issued an executive order for companies doing business with the government about employees' rights and union membership. Only, he forgot some other very important employee rights. Read the Rest of the Story.

The AFL-CIO presents an interactive photo essay on the history of the labor movement. (A Flash Plug-in is required.)

International President 
R. Thomas Buffenbarger 

General Secretary-Treasurer 
Donald E. Wharton 

GVP Western Territory 
Lee Pearson 

GVP Canada 
Dave Ritchie 

GVP Midwest Territory 
Alex M. Bay 

GVP IAM Headquarters 
Robert V. Thayer

GVP Southern Territory 
George Hooper 

GVP Eastern Territory 
Warren L. Mart 

GVP Transportation
Robert Roach, Jr.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Delegates Lobby for Working Families
For two days this week, Capitol Hill became an IAM outpost. More than 300 delegates from the union’s annual legislative conference patrolled the corridors of Congress and held meetings with their congressional delegations urging them to fight for working families.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-SD, reminded delegates that the rights of workers are not a political, partisan issue. “Tell them if they won’t stand up for working families, we won’t stand up for them,” he said.

House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-MO, pointed out that working families and their voting power hold the balance of power in national elections. In 1994, when Newt Gingrich and the GOP narrowly won House control, union households provided only 13% of the total votes cast. Two years later, the union share was up to 23% and the Gingrich Gang lost nine seats.

In 1998, unions again cast 23% of the vote. The GOP lost another five seats—and sent Gingrich packing. In 2000, the union vote climbed to 26%. The GOP lost two more seats clinging to power by their fingertips.

“Keep working, keep educating your members and we’ll win back the House in 2002,” Gephardt promised.

In a similar vein, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney pledged the federation would work even harder during the 2002 election cycle. He likened the Bush Boys, President George and Florida Gov. Jeb, to the James Boys, Frank and Jesse—with one major difference.

“The James Boys robbed banks,” Sweeney said, “the Bush Boys robbed the American people. They stole the White House.”

ILO Rips Child Labor
The International Labor Organization estimates that worldwide, at least 250 million children between ages 5 and 14 work; nearly half work full-time and at least one-third perform dangerous work.

But as Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) pointed out at a Capitol Hill forum, the Bush administration’s budget proposal includes a 63 percent cut in funding for international programs to combat child labor. 

AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson told the forum that in the United States, “The truth is hundreds of thousands of children, no one knows exactly how many, are working in fields and orchards all across the country. They are injured in accidents with heavy equipment, or in falls from ladders, or by sharp knives. Some lose their lives.”

Related Links
International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

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